Kaze and the Wild Masks

With a plot about a cartoon rabbit on a quest to save their friend, gameplay that takes you across levels filled with enemies, and the ability to don masks to pick up special powers, Kaze and the Wild Masks doesn't hide its intentions as a tribute to the great 2D platformers. But what makes this tribute special is that it manages to stand shoulder to shoulder with games like Donkey Kong Country and Rayman. We loved the cartoon style that younger gamers will love, as well as the lovingly crafted environments with hidden areas to discover, not to mention the bonus challenges that let you unlock an extra level in each of the game's four worlds. We liked the different difficulty levels that make the game accessible to gamers aged 9+ all the way through to veteran platform gamers. You can choose between two game modes: Normal and Relaxed: the main difference lies in how many lives you get and how many checkpoints are found in each level. Our tip to help you on your way? If you find yourself dying too often in Relaxed mode, your bird friend will offer you the chance to skip to the next level (at the cost of losing all of the crystals you've already collected). We recommend only making use of this when you need to get past a particularly tough boss. That's right: like any self-respecting platformer, this is a challenging game, but the difficulty curve is fair. Our favourite part? The masks mechanic that changes how you play. The first one you collect – the bird – enables you to fly and fire projectiles. The second mask – the shark – is handy for swimming underwater and defeating aquatic enemies. The third mask is the tiger, and this one lets you use your claws to climb certain walls, while the fourth mask – the lizard – is definitely the hardest one to master: it turns you into Sonic and gives you a massive speed boost. We loved this platformer here at Blacknut, and we can't recommend it enough.